Grown under shade for three weeks prior to plucking, gyokuro is one of the most exclusive varieties of tea produced in Japan.[60] The shading technique imparts a sweeter flavor, and produces a particularly rich color thanks to the higher amounts of chlorophyll in the shaded leaf. Gyokuro tea is associated with the Uji region, the first tea-growing region in Japan. It is often made using smaller-leaf cultivars of the tea plant.[61]